Railway-switch-throwing device



Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

Q ATTO EY.

A. J. LINLEY. RAILWAY SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 1920.

METRE STATES PATIENT ARCHIE J'. LINLEY, OF LODI, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY-SXVITCH-THROWING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29. 921.

Application filed October 15, 1920. Serial No. 417,206,

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in what may be termed semi-automatically operated railway switches, and is particularly intended to be used on street railways, where it occurs in almost every city that cars of different routes traverse a common stretch of track in the congested districts, certain of which then branch off from the main track atvarious points in the length thereof, while others continue past these branching points, at each one of which is a single movable switch member, as is standard practice in street railway construction. These switch points then must be constantly shifted first to allow a car to turn off the main track, and then back to allow the next car to continue therealong, and so on throughout the da fit present four methods are in vogue to operate such switches-(1) The motorman descends from his platform and throws the switch by means of a form of crowbar, such a form of switch having no springs or other return mechanism. This method of course consumes considerable time when totaled up for the day. (2) A man is permanently stationed at each switch especially those incongested districts, and throws the switch for each car. This method necessitates extra employees, and is a disagreeable job, especially in winter,-since the operator must necessarily take his stand in the middle of the street. (3) A form of spring-switch which returns automatically to one or the other of its two positions is operated by a chain or bar manipulated by the conductor who must retain his hold on the operating means until all the wheels of the car have passed thereover. All these methods necessitate the men being exposed to the elements during the operation of the switches, to the detriment of their health in wet or wintry weather. (4) Automatic switches magnetically actuated by the electric current of the car are controlled by the motorman by suitable manipulation of the controller. This form of switch however is not entirely satisfactory, since such switches frequently become deranged and fail to function properly.

Besides this, their operation necessitates the current being passed through the wheels,

moving the car forward, often at a time when this is impracticable or dangerous due to congested trailic conditions. The principal object of my invention therefore is to eliminate the defects pointed out above by providing a switch point without springs or any electrically operated or other delicate mechanism, and yet which may be positively thrown from one rail to the other by the motorman of the car without his leaving his post. A. second object is to provide a structure having few moving parts, which are not likely to get out of order, and which may be readily exposed and inspected when the necessity arises.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effec tive for the purposes which it is designed;

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of ref erence indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a top plan view of the switch mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 0 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the switch throwing means mounted on the car.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentar view of the spring-controlled actuating pedal.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a metal housing or box mounted between the rails 2 and a certain distance ahead of the switch point 3, the latter being of the usual pivoted type.

Formed with the housing and projecting ahead of the same a certain distance is a plate 1 in which is formed a pair of grooves 4;, parallel with the rails 2, the housing and groove portions being sunk into the roadway so as to be flush therewith.

Slots 5 are cut through the grooves into the housing 1, through which slots project the upper ends of arms 6 which are pivoted in the housing as at 7.

These arms are vertically slotted below their pivotal connections, to receive therethrough rods 8 which extend forward of the arms a certain distance and have on such portions stiff springs 9 which are fixed to the rods at one end and bear against the arms at the other.

These rods project through pipes 10 beyond the housing into another housing or box 11 sunk in the roadway between the rails and flush therewith and in alinement with the switch point 8.

The rods then connect-to one end of hori zontal bell cranks 12 pivoted in the housing 11 and arranged in opposite order, the other ends of the bell cranks being connected to rods 13 which extend to ears 14 formed on and below the switch point 3 through pipes 15 which are fixed to the housing 11 and to the casting or switch-block 15 on which the switch point is supported. It will be seen that with the foregoing construction, when the upper end of either arm 6 is moved toward the switch point, the corresponding rod 8 will be moved in the opposite direction, likewise imparting movement to the corresponding rod 13 to move the switch point. It will also be seen that while both rods 13 move together even when pressure is exerted on only one, opposite movements of the rods 8 are had, owing to the opposed mounting of the bell cranks. Thus either one or the other of the arms 8 is always shifted forwardly, and when a corresponding movement is imparted to the other arm, the first named arm regains a vertical position.

To impart movement to the arms as desired in order to throw the switch point as stated, I mount a bracket 17 under the floor 18 of the car adjacent the controller-bar 19, to which bracket, and extending downwardly therefrom, are independently mounted a pair of arms 20 turnable on a horizontal and transverse axis. Vertical rollers 21 are mounted at the lower ends of these arms, which are in vertical alinement with the grooves 1, the rollers being arranged to ride in said grooves so as to bear against the up- 'tive.

per ends of the arms 6 which project thereinto.

The arms 20 however are normally held above the street level by means of rods 22 connected thereto and which project above the car floor, terminating in pedals 23, there being springs 24 about the rods and arranged to normally force the same upwardly.

The arms 20 are as stated, mounted for movement independently of each other, so that to move the switch point in either one direction or the other, the motorman depresses the corresponding pedal so that the roller on the arm lowered by the movement of said pedal will ride in one of the grooves land engage its respective arm 6, the other pedal and its connected arm remaining inac- Both the housings 1 and 11 have removable cover plates 25 and 26 respectively so that the mechanisms may be inspected when necessary for repair or adjustment.

I have shown the de *ice as applied to a single-throw switch, but it is evident that it may be used with two movable switch points by merely connecting them by suitable bars, as is common practice on railroads.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that T have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to and do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is:

In a railway switch, the combination with a movable switch point, of an arm pivoted ahead of the switch and arranged to be moved about its axis by a vehicle on the rails, a rod connected to the switch point and slidably mounted on the arm, and a spring mounted on the rod and bearing against the arm, said spring being arranged to be compressed when the arm is moved and before any movement is imparted to the rod.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARCHIE J. LTNLEY. 

